Bicycle Talk

Bicycle Talk. Episode 440  May  7th 2025.     Ron's Rant:    The Tariffs!   PeopleForBikes preparing letter to Trump asking for tariff relief. Leave our bicycles alone!!  On a positive side: Energy fair this past weekend. Working with Bike Mansfield preparing the bicycles for the upcoming  4th grade bicycle program.  And of course, the […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 437 April 16th 2025.     Ron's Rant:   On a positive side:  Mechanical minute and cycling tips:   Content:   Events and Finishing Points.  2 items, 1. Tariffs. 2.   Bike carnage:  ‘The Carnage is Intolerable': Rep. Jamie Raskin on Why Bike Safety is Becoming Bipartisan.  On a positive side: Frannie […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 436 April 2nd 2025.    Ron's Rant: Get off the road! Why people hate cyclists and other issues with bicycles on the road. Get over yourselves.  More in the show. On a positive side:  Frannie and I are Off to Chicago this weekend to see my Son Greg get married!   Mechanical […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 435 February 26th 2025.    Ron's Rant:  I'm back, more rants about tubeless tires. If I was not made aware of so many failures I would not mention this as much.    On a positive side:  The 6th annual Natchaug Epic. And yes, Your old pal “PedlinRon” was there. And yes, Epic […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 434 March 19th 2025.    Ron's Rant:   How's your backup bicycle chain supply? Chains subject to steel tariffs; some cables and other products, too. Secretary Duffy directed staff to start the process of clawing back millions in discretionary dollars for bike lanes.  On a positive side: 500 people attend the Philly Bike […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 433 March 12th 2025.     Ron's Rant:  All you curmudgeons who criticized Tadej Pogacar for saying the “S” word in his interview after the Strada Bianchi. Really “S” does happen.  On a positive side: Voters Approved $1.9 Billion to Support Better Places to Bike.  And, Just two weeks away from this […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 432  March 5th 2025.    Ron's Rant:  The Sound of Silence: Mayor Adams Ducks Questions About Trump's Move to Kill Congestion Pricing.   On a positive side: More from the Chiropractor. Great video from “The War on Cars” about a solid promotion needed to get bikes back into the news.  The Untold […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 431 February 19th 2025.  .   Ron's Rant:  Sorry I missed you all last week. Where is the micro mobility that is so alive in Europe?   And just when it's starting to have an impact, Donnie Trump is still threatening to kill congestion pricing in New York City, even if he […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 430 February 5th 2025.   Ron's Rant: More complaints on the new administrations transportation policies and changes. ‘Is it  appropriate? Is it legal?’   The bike industry is currently in the middle of its worst-ever recession  On a positive side:  Watched the UCI Cyclocross world’s races yesterday in full French mud fest […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 429 January 29th 2025.   Ron's Rant:  Reality show and Fox News host  Sean Duffy’s nomination as transportation secretary. Really?   On a positive side:  Watched # 11 and # 12  of the UCI Cyclocross world’s races yesterday. Yay YouTube for the free broadcasts!  Coming up this weekend,  2025 UCI Cyclocross World […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 427 January 22nd 2024.   Ron's Rant: Talked to yet another walker last week complaining about bicycle trail etiquette.  Confusion as Portland's Road Death Toll is Alarmingly High.   Timothee Chalamet gets a bicycle parking fine.  On a positive side: Yay, no Jury duty. Chicago doing things right. MLK Statement.  Mechanical minute and […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 426 January 15th 2025   Ron's Rant:   Is there ever a good time for Jury Duty?  More on this next week or maybe not for 2 weeks depending on the outcome. The U.S. has seven parking spaces for every car .  California Wildfires effect bicycles too. On a positive side: New […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 425 January 1st 2025.   Ron's Rant: 2024. The good, the bad, the ugly.    On a positive side: Happy New Year!  Major accomplishements in 2024. Ron talks about the year in the sport of Cycling.   Mechanical minute and cycling tips:  Top 10 cycling innovations that “weren’t like the others” in 2024   Content:  […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 424 December 25th 2024.   Ron's Rant: UL Safety Standards legislation cut from the latest budget balance bill.  Setting the safety standards for Lithium batteries was removed as Congress reached a compromise.   Once again the safety of people who ride bicycles and use them for transportation, is not important in this country On a […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 423 December 18th 2024.   Ron's Rant:   Ontario Premier Doug Ford Very bike unfriendly guy.  On a positive side: US National Cyclocross Results. Locals shine.  Mechanical minute and cycling tips:   Bottom line: Ron's tip of the week? Ride your bike, it really could save your life. Getting to the heart of it all. […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 422 December 11th 2024.   Ron's Rant: Where was PedlinRon last week?  Size matters. New information on the deadly vehicle size increase.   On a positive side:  ​​More evidence that exercise can have beneficial effects on cognitive performance.  Dublin World cup Cyclocross, US National Cyclocross Championships rapidly approaching, And Project Mayhem Cyclocross series […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 421 November 20th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  If your class 3 e-bike can travel at motorized vehicle speed, GET OFF THE MULTI USE TRAILS AND USE THE ROAD WHERE YOU BELONG. Currently, about 97 percent of bike parts come from overseas, mostly from Trump's least-favored nation, China — and the incoming president […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 420 November 13th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Ron's Laters CPR Test. Simple tests made difficult for the sake of testing.  On a positive side:   Happy Veterans Day.  Heading to Chicago to see my son Greg. Election news, not all that bad. Mechanical minute and cycling tips: Winter Bicycle training tips. Ron shares […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 419 November 6th 2024.   Ron's Rant:   I know I said it last few shows but here we go again.  I'm reaching out to my younger audience here. Please Vote. Public Transportation is On the Ballot Across America. It's a Bicycle thing.   On a positive side: Wow! Student sign up for early […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 418 October 23rd 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Once again, Please Vote.    investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system. E-bike injuries among Gen-Xers and Boomers are spiking. And hey Women, why aren’t you racing cross. On a positive side:  Go Huskie's, Women's and Men's Basketball about to start.  Breaking weather records up here in […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 417 October 16th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Please Vote.  If you are one of those “it doesn’t really matter” folks and you think that is the answer, please reconsider. Democracy is at a turning point, and if you just want to be pushed around and think voting will not help you or […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 416 October 9th 2024.   Ron's Rant: Who stole my campaign signs?  Ron rants about the recent theft of political campaign signs in town which leads him to todays subject matter.   On a positive side: Farm to Fork Fondo this past weekend.  Berkshires Harvest     TASTE Series Appeteaser    Tadej […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 415 October 2nd 2024.   Ron's Rant: Vehicles that don't stop at crosswalks and why don't drivers understand the law. Even the State of CT has not updated their website.    On a positive side: The World Cycling Championships were this past weekend. And California Governor Newsom Signs Complete Streets Bill, finally. […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 414 September 25th 2024.   Ron's Rant:   Ron talks about a close call near his home with a truck pulling a camping trailer.  Big truck and the American obsession with them. On a positive side: The world championships have started.  Lot to share in the next week.  Lael Wilcox rode around […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 413 September 18th 2024.   Ron's Rant: 911 20 years later.  America's consumption of oil and dependency on motorized vehicles continues to go up. Have we learned nothing. The difference bicycles could make. A green group has pulled 410 scooters and e-bikes out of the Bronx River since July 2023. Really?  On […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 412 September 11th 2024.   Ron's Rant:   On a positive side: Mansfield Hollow Cyclocross was Sunday the 8th of September! “Damned at the Dam”, 2024 The kickoff race to the Project Mayhem Cyclocross Series.  And this Wednesday week 3 of the CCAP Cyclocross Training races in Rocky Hill CT.   The […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 411 September 4th 2024.   Ron's Rant: 24 %  Really Anyone watching the Vuelta? And We are back to school. School Zone Accident Statistics  On a positive side:   Mansfield Hollow Cyclocross is coming! “Damned at the Dam”, 2024 The kickoff race to the project mayhem Cyclocross Series.  And this Wednesday is […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 410 August 26th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  America has poured enough asphalt to build its sprawling auto-centric road network to cover the entire nation of the Netherlands. More on the Netherlands in the show.  On a positive side:  A whopping 183 U.S. cities have built enough bike-friendly streets that their residents just […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 409 August 21st 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Every year in California, more than 100 bicyclists lose their lives and over 10,000 are injured in accidents.  It's the speed stupid: Traffic calming is the answer.   On a positive side: Speed Humps in Providence: “Car Kryptonite”.  The 2024 Tour de France Femmes comes […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 408 August 14th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Purchased anything from Amazon recently?   CPSC: Amazon liable for hazardous products it sells.  And, Honey, she shrunk herself.   On a positive side: American woman is still  kicking butt!  Again. Jennifer Valente on the track.   And this weekend is the 33rd annual Steeplechase Bike […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 407  August 7th  2024.   Ron's Rant:  Hey Peacock. I love Simone Biles but 45 K to go in the Men’s olympic Bicycle Road Race and everything is coming to a head and you switch to gymnastics on us? And, let's make car dependency weird.  On a positive side: The Olympics and […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 406 July 31st 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Yup it continues:  Businesses Thrive on Car-Free Streets, Yet Mayor Adams Ignores Call for Widespread Pedestrianization  Top city officials have long said they want to reduce cars to create business-friendly streets, but Gov. Hochul’s decision to kill congestion pricing isn’t helping.  On a positive side: […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 405 July 24th 2024.   Ron's Rant: Governor Hochul's Congestion Pricing Pause Helps Rich Suburban Drivers.  What is the height of the hood of a pickup truck?   On a positive side:  Here comes the Thread City Quiet Corner rides!  The TDF  Over but not forgotten. So many firsts.  Massachusetts’ $58 billion […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 404 July 17th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Hard to believe I still have to have this conversation. Trail etiquette:   On a positive side: The final Farm to fork Fondo. Or is it?  And Is cycling a sustainable transport?  the Citroën 2CV  Mechanical minute and cycling tips: A simple request for your […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 403 July 10th  2024.   Ron's Rant: . My legs hurt! Feeling old and slow and not happy with it.  Supreme Court blocks an EPA plan to curb ozone air pollution. What this means for Connectcur On a positive side: Biniam Girmay.  More TDF 2024  39th annual Boom Box Parade.   Mechanical […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 402 July 3rd  2024.   Ron's Rant: Governor Hochul back in the news. I have a solution.   On a positive side: Biniam Girmay.  More TDF 2024  183 cities have built bike friendly streets and their residents want more!  Mechanical minute and cycling tips: 2024's best cities to bicycle in.  Content:  More […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 401 June 26th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  More on the NY Governors Congestion Pricing debacle. And Speed, It's the speed limit dummy. Why we need to lower the speed limits in cities and high congestion areas.    On a positive side: Shout out to Cambridge MA. And later in the show, it's […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 400 June 19th 2024.   Ron's Rant: Please keep your motorcycles off the bicycle trails. Why Massive Cars Kill So Many Pedestrians and Cyclists. And shout out to NY  Gov. Kathy Hochul. What were you thinking?  On a positive side: Happy Father's day a day late.  Tour de Suisse.   Dan Hurley is staying […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 399 June 12th  2024.   Ron's Rant: Continued bad behavior form people driving motorized vehicles. Get over yourselves. And more “blow by” bad mannered cyclists.   On a positive side: Ride the East rail trail event on Saturday June 8th.  Criterium de Dauphine 2024:  It's over Exciting 8 days of Bicycle Racing!  […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 398 June 5th 2024.   Ron's Rant: Even with exceptional markings, marshaling and giant flashing signs warning people of an event last weekend I got buzzed by not one but 2 extra large truck like vehicles. Really people? This non profit event raised over 4 million dollars and you can't be patient […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 397 May 22nd 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Ciao, Alla Prossima, 2024 Giro d Italia Not really a rant, just a for farewell. Withdrawal time, the Giro is over. , On a positive side:  May is still Bike Month!  And June is Heart month!   The Giro is Over:   From yesterday’s Bicycle Talk Facebook […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 396 May 22nd 2024.   Ron's Rant:  The Blow By Cyclist. You know who you are,  the overly competitive show offs who are so self absorbed with their own ride that they have to blow by you rather than taking a minute out of their ride to chat with you before continuing […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 393 May 1st 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Legendary Chicago bicycle traveler and writer George Christianson killed by truck driver in South Carolina. Drivers less attentive at the end of the day. On a positive side:  May is Bike Month. The Giro is Coming. And the grand opening of the bicycle and pedestrian […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 395 May 15th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Science Proves Motorists Break Traffic Laws a LOT More Often Than Cyclists. DUH.  Hey Tadej, How about giving Micha the win for all he's doing for you.  The U.S. has more than 1 billion parking spaces — about three for every person   On a […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 394 May 8th 2024.   Ron's Rant: Hey tubeless tires. Just stop fueling my opinion. Anyone see Stage 2 in the Giro yesterday? Pogacar flats and then slips out on the sealant.  On a positive side:  May is Bike Month!  Bicycles on Main Wethersfield!  And don't forget the big ribbon cutting on […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 392 April 24th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Parents driving their kids to school make the roads more cluttered and less safe.  On a positive side: The last of the classic races for spring of 2024. Bicycle industry workers safe after Taiwan earthquake. The Putnam bridge bicycle and pedestrian project is due to […]

Bicycle Talk. Episode 391 April 17th 2024.   Ron's Rant:  Even Race officials are being run over by inattentive drivers.  On a positive side:  Tom Pidcock win's a classic.  And 2 more monument classics to come.  ‘The Bike Is the Cure': Meet New Congressional Bike Caucus Chair Mike Thompson.  Mechanical minute and cycling tips:  5 […]

 Bicycle Talk. Episode 390 April 10th 2024.   Ron's Rant:   Oh the crashes. Pro bike circuit is just riddled with crashes. Wout Van Aert out for a while.   But of course you better be wearing the right socks!    On a positive side: Go Men's UConn Basketball team!   The Paris Roubaix!  Did you see […]

 Bicycle Talk. Episode 389 April  3rd 2024  Ron's Rant: Cars that are too quiet. The EV's are coming, but can you hear them approaching from behind? Go Huskies again.  On a positive side: College Basketball fever.   Ride the East on June 8, 2024!  Town of Mansfield CT. accepts the bicycle pedestrian proposal offer by Bike […]

 Bicycle Talk. Episode 388 March  27th 2024  Ron's Rant: Heart medication and the frustration I am feeling right now.  Ron rants about his current health dilemma and his bodies rejection of the pharmaceutical he is taking.  On a positive side: The Natchaug Epic Gravel ride this past weekend.  People for bikes planning to develop reasonable […]

 Bicycle Talk. Episode 387 March  20th 2024  Ron's Rant: Fox News  Bogus report “How e-bikes are exploding and killing people”.   And a heart felt comment to Peter Sagan.  On a positive side: Classics!  March 16, 2024, Milan-San Remo  Crazy finish.  And, A New Study Proves E-Bikes Are Pretty Damn Great for the Future of […]